A respite from noise might seem thin on paper, but spend a few hours on an inescapable airplane with crying babies, heaving green-faced passengers or even a chatty cathy neighbor and get back to us on what you're willing to pay for a little peace and music. What's more, NC options have some of the best sound profiles available, making them true gems for audiophiles and the easily distracted alike. Considering the vastly small market for noise-canceling headsets available at the moment, the problem isn’t necessarily narrowing down the field -- it’s choosing the best one for your audio needs. From pioneering audio staples to buzzing newcomers, these are the noise cancelers worth turning your ears to.

The term "noise canceling headphones" almost always summons images of big puffy over-the-ear numbers. As wonderful as those can be, they're bulky to pack if you're traveling light, and during workouts, they suck -- providing a feeling akin to sweating with scones strapped to your head. Austrian headphone maker AKG's K391 NC offer up noise canceling features in a compact package. We tried out a pair.

If there’s one thing that Bose does well, besides marketing, it’s noise cancelling headphones. They just work, even if they scream “I live for middle-management”. And despite efforts from some of our favorite brands, most of the offerings have been pretty lackluster. AKG aims to remedy that, including their former noise-cancelling headphones, with the all-new...

Wireless audio. A convenient technology that, like many modern conveniences, comes at the peril of quality. When it comes to a great pair of cans, we’re a picky lot here at GP and tend to keep ours plugged into an amp via cables — for better or worse. So, when AKG asked us a few...

Quincy Jones, a musician who needs little introduction (think: producer behind Thriller and We Are the World) has partnered with AKG to release a signature line of headphones. Three models make up the lineup: the Q702 ($479, shown above) reference-class premium headphones with flat-wire voice coils, patented Varimotion two-layer diaphragm, and 3D-Form ear pads. The...

When it comes to headphones, you may know of the “S” brands: Sennheiser, Sony, and Shure, but audiophiles have long been listening to Austrian-made AKG Acoustics. As a long time user of AKG headphones, we felt it worth our (and your) time to introduce you to a set that might not necessarily fly on your...